PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 4064, 10 June 1882, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

POLITICAL GOSSIP. [telegraphed by special correspondent.] PEACE PRESERVATION BILL. Friday, June 9. — The Peace Preservation Bill passed a third reading to-day, after a short debate. The chief feature in it was that Mr. Macandrew , in a pathetic peroration, hoped the Governor, as the embodiment of British right and justice, would in some measure guard the rights of the oppressed natives. Mr. Kelly took him to task for appealing to a power outside the House, and said that our disasters in the past in dealing with the a&tives was greatly owing to the interference of the Imperial authorities in our domestic concerns, and lie, for one, would protest in the strongest manner from the doctrine hud down by one of the leaders of the Opposition, which might be quoted as the opinion of a section of the House if it was allowed to pass without protest. Mr. Bryce, in his reply, protested as a member, and also as a Minister, against Mr. Macandrew's appeal, as it meant nothing less than asking the Governor to veto the bill. A division was taken on the third reading, which was carried by 5 G to 21. THE INDEMNITY BILL. The Indemnity Bill has passed through Committee without amendment. LAW PRACTITIONERS' BILL. Sir G. Grey is now speaking to the socond reading of his Law Practitioners' Bill, and I observe the limbs of the law taking voluminous notes, so I suppose we will hear the other side at 7.30, and perhaps become convinced that no trespass should be allowed on the rich, green pastures by outside barbarians. [from a cobbespondent.] THE MOKAU RAILWAY. The struggle between the Auckland and Taranaki members on the one hand and the Wellington and East Coast members on the other re the main trunk railway extension is daily becoming more interesting. The Auckland and Taranaki members, numbering twenty, exclusive of Sir G. M. O'Rorke, threaten that if the Wellington members oppose the Te Awamutu-Waitara route they will vote as a body for the removal of the seat of Government to Christchurch. Should they do so a division of the whole House on the question of such removal would stand at about 70 for the remova' and 25 against. OFFENCES AGAINST PERSONS BILL Mr. Weston's Offences Against the Person Bill provides that the consent of a girl under the age of twelve shall be no answer to a charge of rape or intent to commit an indecent assault ; to provide for corporal punishment in extreme cases of wife-beat-ing; and to provide for birching in cases of larrikinism. AN IRISHMAN OUTWITTED ! Mr Hursthouse (says the Wellington correspondent of the HmokJs Bay Herald) was returned for Motueka at the last election as an uncompromising opponent of Ministers. He is rapidly becoming one of the best debaters in the House, having also a large amount of ready wit at his disposal. He was very severe a few nights aeo on Mr Bracken, the well-known " Paddy Murphy," for the sentimentalism he displayed with reference to the treatment of Te Whiti and Tohu. Mr Hurflthouse chaffed Mr Bracken most unmercifully on that occasion, and advised him to go back to Ireland, as he was altogether too pureminded for the Colony.